Some are long-term: I will go on a hot air balloon ride before I die.
Some are short-term: I will not buy cookies at the grocery store today.
Some of my goals are meaningful: I will mail (not just email) letters to people I love, just because.
Some are vital to my mental health: I will start writing again.
Some of my goals are more challenging than they first appear: I will get out of bed this morning.
My goals are sometimes just in my head, but typically I like to write them down as often as possible so I have the satisfaction of crossing them off my list. Goal Accomplished – check!
Whenever I achieve one of my goals and either mentally or physically check it off the list, I get a boost of pride and sense of accomplishment. I have a silent mini-celebration in my head, which adds a little pep to my step or smile of satisfaction on my face.
Way to go, Amy. You cleaned your bathroom this weekend. Woot.
Of course, I don’t always achieve my goals. Sometimes I do buy cookies when I go to the store. I have stayed in bed all day due to depression.
Notice I haven’t mentioned my weight loss goals…it’s not because I haven’t set any.
Hiking the Ice Age Trail is my biggest goal to date -- 1,121 miles on foot. This is a five-year goal and I’m on year two. I often question why I’m doing this or if I’ll ever finish.
From doorstep to doorstep, my brother lives exactly 254 miles from me in a suburb of St. Paul. If I were to hike the same distance as the Ice Age Trail, I could walk back and forth from his house 2.25 times. This seems absolutely ludicrous to me. And yet every weekend I grab my trekking poles and hiking boots and head out for the trail, checking off part of my goal one mile at a time.
I think I set this goal to give me a temporary sense of purpose. I was floundering the past few years and feeling directionless. What better way to find my way then hike one of the national scenic trails?
Now I have mini-celebrations every weekend. I’m able to have a sense of accomplishment every time I color in another segment of my map with yellow, or go to my spreadsheet and add a few more miles to the “total distance hiked” column.
In addition to my weekend goals I have distance goals like hiking 225 miles per year (I’ve already hiked more than 300 this year I say with a smile on my face and great sense of pride).
This past weekend I logged my 561st mile, which means I've hiked HALF of the trail. This was cause for a lot of singing in my car on my way home.
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| Halfway there! |
Of course, since then I realized the Ice Age Alliance has made a few additions/changes over the past year so the total length of the trail is now: 1122.9 miles.
Adding 1.9 miles to the overall length isn't much of a whoop-dee-do when you have over 560 miles to go, however, this means that my halfway done celebration was a little premature. doh!
I guess if I'm going to think deeply about this, the lesson learned is that it's okay when goals change and there are some things may take a little longer than anticipated.
However, if I'm not going to think too deeply about this, it simply means I'll have another excuse to celebrate a distance goal this weekend when I reach the new halfway. :-)
Adding 1.9 miles to the overall length isn't much of a whoop-dee-do when you have over 560 miles to go, however, this means that my halfway done celebration was a little premature. doh!
I guess if I'm going to think deeply about this, the lesson learned is that it's okay when goals change and there are some things may take a little longer than anticipated.
However, if I'm not going to think too deeply about this, it simply means I'll have another excuse to celebrate a distance goal this weekend when I reach the new halfway. :-)
